Car-coupling



2 Sheets-Sheet l. J. T. WILSON. GAR COUPLING Patented Feb. 23, 1886.

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- J. T. WILSON.

GAR COUPLING.

No. 336,778. Patented Feb. 23, 1886.

INS 13W BY d WITNESSES:

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN T. WILSON, OF PITTSBUBG, PENNSYLVANIA.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 336,778, dated February 23. 1886.

Application filed January '2, 1856. Serial No. 187,350.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, JOHN T. W'ILsoN, residing at Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, a citizen of the United States, have invented or discovered certain new and useful Improvements in Can Couplings, of which improvements the following is a specification.

In the accompanying drawings, which make part of this specification, Figure l is a sectional elevation of my improved twin couplers as they are about to be coupled. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the couplers connected. Fig. Sis a top plan view of the twin couplers. Fig. 4 is a detail view of the guiding and retaining apron. Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 1, showing the position of the parts after being uncoupled, also showing a modified form of apron. Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5, showing one of the coupling-bars withdrawn to permit the use of the ordinary link and pin.

The invention herein relates to certain improvements in that class of automatic carcouplers in which each draw-head is provided with a coupling-bar having an eye or slot in its forward end and a depending hook in the rear of the eye adapted to automatically engage the slot in the coupling bar of the adjacent car.

The object of the invention herein is to so connect the coupling-bar with the draw-head that the former may be disengaged from the couplingbar of an adjoining car by raising or lowering the rear end of either couplingbar, the connecting mechanism being so constructed that the coupling-bar may be operated from the side of the car; and it is a further object of my invention to provide a yielding guide and retainer, whereby one coupling baris guided into and held in engagement with the corresponding bar of an adjoining car.

The draw-bars 1 are of similar form and construction, made by preference of wrought-iron or steel, each consisting of the head 2, the side bars or straps, 3, and the end piece, 4. The head 2 is rectangular in shape, having its vertical sides the longest, thereby permitting of a larger Vertical opening in said head for the purpose of enabling cars diflering considerably in the height of their draw-bars to be coupled together.

The coupling bar or link 5 consists of a for- (No model.)

ing for the reception of the eccentric 10, the

journals 11 of said eccentric being mounted in the side bars or straps, 3, the outer ends or said journals being squared or otherwise sultably shaped for engagement with operatingbars extending to the sides of the car.

In the opening in the head 2 is arranged the; apron or guiding-plate 12, having j ournals,

projecting from its lower corner, said journals being mounted in lugs or projections 13 at the ends'of the lower side of the head. This plate is supported in the position shown in Fig. 1 by the spring 14, and is adapted to support the tongue of the coupling bar in approximately horizontal position, and to hold the tongue of the adjacent car in engagement with the hook of its own coupling-bar, as clearly shown in Fig. 2, thus preventing any accidental disengagement of coupled bars. This apron or plate is made of a width to fit more easily in the opening in the head of the drawhead, and is provided on its free edge with a slot, 15, to permit of the passage of the hook of its coupling-bar.

In lieu of the eccentric 10, a crank or any other equivalent mechanical device may be employed to operate the oouplingbar.

Each draw-bar and its operative parts are similar in construction.

The operation of the twin couplings when in use is as follows: The coupling-bars being normally in the position above described, their front ends proj ectiug beyond the draw-bar, and resting on the guideapron in a practically horizontal plane, will, when the cars are pushed together, slide one over the other. The under coupling-bar striking the apron 12 will push it down, and sliding along it will slip under the hook of the adjoining car, and as soon as the eye in the under coupling-bar is in line with said hook the latter will drop down into engagement with the eye. During this coupling operation each coupling-bar is -beyond the end of its draw-bar.

so held by its eccentric as to project slightly After the coupling-bars have been connected the springaprons in both draw-bars will hold the under coupling-bar up so as to keep its eye in engagement with the hook of the upper coupling-bar, the spring 14 being sufficiently strong to support or raise one of the coupling-bars, and will therefore prevent any accidental uncoupling.

The coupling-bars may be uncoupled by raising or lowering the rear ends of either one of said bars, which can be effected by rotating the eccentric through one-quarter of a revolution. \Vhen raising the rear end of the up per coupling-bar, the forward end of said bar will rest upon the upper side of the under coupling-bar as a fulcrum, the hook of the upper bar being raised and the forward end of the under bar being correspondingly depressed, said relative movements being sufficient to effect a disengagement of the two bars. When the upper couplingbar is operat'ed to effect a disengagement, it will operate u as alever of the second order, the weight--11 e., the hook-being between the power and the fulcrum. When the rear end of the under coupling-bar is raised, it will act as a lever of the first order. The front end of the upper bar, bearing on the middle of the under bar, will act as afulcrumfor the under bar, whose front end will represent the weight, and will be de pressed on raising its rear end. The raising of the rear end of the under bar will also raise the upper bar, its movement in connection with the downward movement of the front end of the lower bar being sufficient to effect a disengagement of said bars. Each draw-bar is provided with holes 16 for the reception of a pin when cars are to be coupled in the ordinary manner with a loose link, in which case the eccentric 10 is rotated so as to withdraw the coupling-bar into the draw-head until its eye will be in line with the holes 16.

I claim herein asmy invention 1. In a car-coupling, an eccentric or crank mounted in the draw-head, in combination with a coupling-bar having its rear end connected to said eccentric and provided with a hook and eye, substantially as set forth.

2. In a car-coupling, an eccentric or crank mounted in the draw-head, in combination with a coupling having its rear end connected to said eccentric and provided with a hook and eye, and a spring guiding and retaining apron journaled in the draw-head, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

JOHN T. WILSON.

XVit-nesses:

W. B. CORWIN, DARWIN S. WOLCOTT. 

